1961-1963 Background
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States of America his inauguration was on the 20th of January 1961 and he served as president until he was assassinated on the 22 of November 1963. Kennedy played a crucial role as president during the cold war period, fighting against the USSR and their leader Nikita Khrushchev and also notably Fidel Castro prime minister of Cuba. during his cold war presidency he played a fundamental role in the Cuban Missile crisis of 1962 and was in office at the time the USSR put up the Berlin Wall. JFK INAUGURAL ADDRESS January 20th 1961 Rated Time magazines 7th best speech of all time http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=8032&
“Let every nation know,whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.”
-Kennedy’s inaugural address, clearly outlines the extent at which he wishes to avoid war or violent confrontation as he is aware it could possibly trigger a disastrous chain of events that neither nation would wish to foresee. The speech also clearly identifies the degree to which he and the American people uphold their ideals of liberty and freedom and that they will do anything in their accessible power to defend those ideals with particular emphases on “ What you can do for your country” . This portion of the speech is clearly directed at the imminent threat of the time, that being the spread of communism and shows us how effectively Kennedy wishes to combat it as a unified nation.
JFK Ich Bin Ein Berliner ( I Am A Berliner ) June 26th 1963
“There are some who say that Communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere: We can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it's true that Communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Laß sie nach Berlin kommen.Freedom has many difficulties, and democracy is not perfect. But we have never had to put a wall up to keep our peoplein, to prevent them from leaving us… …So letme ask you as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today to the hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this city of Berlin, or your country of Germany, to the advance of freedom everywhere, beyond the wall, to the day of peace with justice; beyond yourselves, and ourselves, to all mankind. Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe.” >> Ich bin ein Berliner <<
`-Kennedy highlights in this speech the indifference between “the Free World and the Communist world”. By saying let them come to Berlin. directed at those people who fail to see a difference between the two ‘worlds’ or are in support of communism. That they don’t know how privileged they are to live in such stable ‘world’. The invitation to come to Berlin is so that they can see for themselves the enormous contrast between the two 'worlds', that is so evident in Berlin. He then goes on to state that without total freedom and whilst there is still a lurking presence of communism, that it is impossible to unite the world
"Lets get a lock for this thing"
This cartoon published in the Washington Post from November 1st 1962 by Hebert Block. Depicts the two leaders acting Sensibly to put away their differences and avoid the impeding threat of nuclear war. The mood of the time was unsteady to say the least, previous president Eisenhower had avoided violent confrontation with the Russians during his two terms in office. Whilst JFK had just narrowly missed world inhalation just shy of serving 2 years of his term. The cartoon is addressing the Cuban missile crisis and nuclear War as ‘Pandora’s box, with both Khrushchev and Kennedy mutually exclaiming to get a ‘lock for this thing’ The cartoon illustrates and American depiction of the event And seems to show almost no bias toward who’s to blame, or thank for avoiding nuclear armageddon.
These are publicly available CIA files discussing both operation mongoose and Cuban movement during the October crisis. Americans felt most most threatened by the communist movement in Cuba as a result of is geographic positioning to the US. Operation mongoose was a presidential approved program to create downright disorder in attempt to sabotage Castro’s communist Cuban regime, consisting of 33 tasks. CIA trained Cubans carried out assassinations of officials, destroyed infrastructure and sugar crops along with other tasks that would help eliminate Castro. Castro thought this was the prelude to another US invasion of Cuba, much like the failed ‘Bay of pigs invasion’. he then called for help from soviet ally Khrushchev who planted nuclear missiles in Cuba. A move that would give the Soviet Union additional leverage on the United States. This move was so useful to Khrushchev as it meant that soviet Russia didn’t have to spend a fortune on developing long range missiles and instead could launch an effective attack on the US from Cuba. On the 16th October of 1962 Kennedy was informed by the CIA of Khrushchev’s instillation of Medium-Range Ballistic Missile sites in Cuba thus beginning the infamous Cuban Missile Crisis. October of ‘62 is viewed as being the most dangerous month in human history as it had the USSR and the USA on the brink of nuclear war. A security council was erected called the Executive committee of national security council (Ex-Comm), Who wanted to bomb Khrushchev’s Cuban Medium-range Ballistic Missile sites, but Kennedy was advised against it by his brother Bobby Kennedy and Robert McNamara, as it could ignite a nuclear war against the soviets and discredit America for bombing such a small nation. Secretary of defence Robert McNamara suggested a naval blockade of Cuba preventing Soviet ships from supplying the construction of the launch sites. The Cuban missile crisis had avoided catastrophe and ended 13 days after it had begun in the same month of October. Khrushchev agreed to remove his missiles from Cuba if America agreed not to invade Cuba. He was triggered to act sensibly as he wanted to avoid war at all costs and was aware of his vulnerability.
This photograph by Cecil W. Stoughton of Kennedy looking over the Berlin Wall from an elevated platform at Checkpoint Charlie, West Berlin. Kennedy was in Berlin delivering his“ ich bin ein Berliner” (“I am a Berliner”) speech on the 26th of June 1963 this is such a great image as in so strongly contrasts the two sides of Berlin, the two conflicting ideologies and the two super powers of the world. The Image strongly sways with bias for the American side as it depicts the streets flooded with people celebrating. Whilst over the wall the only people in sight are armed guards surrounded by a segregated military zone, where its estimated around 100 East German defectors were shot and killed trying to escape.
Question one: “Cold War? Heck, it was a hot war!” (Robert McNamara, US Secretary of Defence 1961 – 1968) To what extent do you agree with Robert McNamara’s statement that it was a ‘hot war’?
It would be wrong to ignore the violent conflict and heated tension that this era brought about. The Cold War has its name ‘cold’ because the lack of violent conflict throughout the period. However, how can the Korean war where the casualties reach above 54,000, The Soviet-Afghan war with a death toll of soviet troops at around 15,000 and a civilian death toll at an estimated 1 million and the Vietnam war with casualties greater the 1.4 million! The ignorance of these conflicts as being ‘heated’ is far from acceptable. Though the Cold war is viewed as a proxy war of indirect conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States. They both fought significant wars against each others ideological outlooks, in different countries, against different nations, who in all instances were both armed and funded by either the USSR or the USA. “The Cold War isn’t thawing it is burning with a deadly heat” – Richard Nixon 1964 The tension, most significantly during the Cuban Missile crisis of October 1962 has to prevail as heated. The fate of the entire world rested in the palms of these three very hostile nations whom seemed very near breaking point. This period saw the creation of the ‘Doomsday Clock’, a clock that at midnight meant the extermination of mankind, a clock created for the sole purpose of the Cold War.
Question two:
Why is the Cold War worth remembering?
The Cold War saw the creation of significant treaties, pacts, technological advancements, leaps and bounds into space, the fall of an enormous economic system and dictatorship, the death of millions and almost tore the world in half (both physically and ideologically).
Advancements made in the ‘space race’ saw America soar out of the earths atmosphere enabling them to make grandeurs discoveries about the moon and space. Information and research that would be decades behind, if the Cold War had not pushed scientists and governments to make such headway. By the end of the cold war 23 countries had been created including, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) who is Juche/ Communist. and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) who is capitalist. An outcome of the Korean War.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) consisting of 28 countries including Canada, The US, UK, Italy, France and Germany who’s main objective is to protect its affiliates from harm to their liberty. “NATO’s essential purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means”.
Primarily the point to be argued like any point in history, is that The Cold War shaped the modern world as we know it.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Biblio details:
Walsh, B. GCSE Modern World History 2nd ed
Hodder Education, London, 2001
Notes:
A useful text for Year 11 History which utilises source material in a good learning way. While it has a strong British orientation it does look at the Cold war from two perspectives.
Biblio details:
Chrisp, P. (2002). 20th century leaders Kennedy. lewes: White-Thomson Publishing Ltd, pp.22-35.
Notes:
This book was filled with useful information that helped with study JFK with 13 pages dedicated to his participation in the Cold War it might carry some amount of bias as it was based on JFK and an American outlook of the events.
Biblio details:
Jfklibrary.org. (2016). John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. [online] Available at: https://www.jfklibrary.org/[Accessed 18 Aug. 2016].
Notes:
This online library was used to source images as well as information regarding JFK
Biblio details:
The Library of Congress. (2016). Home. [online] Available at: https://www.loc.gov/[Accessed 15 Aug. 2016].
Notes:
This website was used to source the Herbert Lock cartoon and information about the cartoon
website where Ich Bin Ein Berliner quotation was sourced aswell as the image of the speech.
Biblio details:
John F. Kennedy: "Inaugural Address," January 20, 1961. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Proj ect. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=8032
Notes:
Source of JFK inaugural address quotation. Trustworthy site as it’s a .edu website quotation is taken from paragraphs 5 and 11
This was an extremely useful Pdf for sourcing declassified documents, full of memorandums, recounts, maps, timetables and other government surveillance documents it enables us to view American recounts of what happened during the cold war.
Background
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States of America his inauguration was on the 20th of January 1961 and he served as president until he was assassinated on the 22 of November 1963. Kennedy played a crucial role as president during the cold war period, fighting against the USSR and their leader Nikita Khrushchev and also notably Fidel Castro prime minister of Cuba. during his cold war presidency he played a fundamental role in the Cuban Missile crisis of 1962 and was in office at the time the USSR put up the Berlin Wall.
JFK INAUGURAL ADDRESS January 20th 1961
Rated Time magazines 7th best speech of all time
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=8032&
“Let every nation know,whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.”
-Kennedy’s inaugural address, clearly outlines the extent at which he wishes to avoid war or violent confrontation as he is aware it could possibly trigger a disastrous chain of events that neither nation would wish to foresee. The speech also clearly identifies the degree to which he and the American people uphold their ideals of liberty and freedom and that they will do anything in their accessible power to defend those ideals with particular emphases on “ What you can do for your country” . This portion of the speech is clearly directed at the imminent threat of the time, that being the spread of communism and shows us how effectively Kennedy wishes to combat it as a unified nation.
JFK Ich Bin Ein Berliner ( I Am A Berliner ) June 26th 1963
http://www.thekennedys.de/english/museum/ich-bin-ein-berliner/
“There are some who say that Communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere: We can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it's true that Communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Laß sie nach Berlin kommen.Freedom has many difficulties, and democracy is not perfect. But we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us…
…So letme ask you as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today to the hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this city of Berlin, or your country of Germany, to the advance of freedom everywhere, beyond the wall, to the day of peace with justice; beyond yourselves, and ourselves, to all mankind. Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe.” >> Ich bin ein Berliner <<
`-Kennedy highlights in this speech the indifference between “the Free World and the Communist world”. By saying let them come to Berlin. directed at those people who fail to see a difference between the two ‘worlds’ or are in support of communism. That they don’t know how privileged they are to live in such stable ‘world’. The invitation to come to Berlin is so that they can see for themselves the enormous contrast between the two 'worlds', that is so evident in Berlin. He then goes on to state that without total freedom and whilst there is still a lurking presence of communism, that it is impossible to unite the world
"Lets get a lock for this thing"
This cartoon published in the Washington Post fromNovember 1st 1962 by Hebert Block. Depicts the two leaders
acting Sensibly to put away their differences and avoid
the impeding threat of nuclear war. The mood of the time
was unsteady to say the least, previous president Eisenhower
had avoided violent confrontation with the Russians during
his two terms in office. Whilst JFK had just narrowly missed
world inhalation just shy of serving 2 years of his term.
The cartoon is addressing the Cuban missile crisis and nuclear
War as ‘Pandora’s box, with both Khrushchev and Kennedy
mutually exclaiming to get a ‘lock for this thing’
The cartoon illustrates and American depiction of the event
And seems to show almost no bias toward who’s to blame, or
thank for avoiding nuclear armageddon.
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/Cuban%20Missile%20Crisis1962.pdf
These are publicly available CIA files discussing both operation mongoose and Cuban movement during the October crisis.
Americans felt most most threatened by the communist movement in Cuba as a result of is geographic positioning to the US. Operation mongoose was a presidential approved program to create downright disorder in attempt to sabotage Castro’s communist Cuban regime, consisting of 33 tasks. CIA trained Cubans carried out assassinations of officials, destroyed infrastructure and sugar crops along with other tasks that would help eliminate Castro. Castro thought this was the prelude to another US invasion of Cuba, much like the failed ‘Bay of pigs invasion’. he then called for help from soviet ally Khrushchev who planted nuclear missiles in Cuba. A move that would give the Soviet Union additional leverage on the United States. This move was so useful to Khrushchev as it meant that soviet Russia didn’t have to spend a fortune on developing long range missiles and instead could launch an effective attack on the US from Cuba. On the 16th October of 1962 Kennedy was informed by the CIA of Khrushchev’s instillation of Medium-Range Ballistic Missile sites in Cuba thus beginning the infamous Cuban Missile Crisis. October of ‘62 is viewed as being the most dangerous month in human history as it had the USSR and the USA on the brink of nuclear war. A security council was erected called the Executive committee of national security council (Ex-Comm), Who wanted to bomb Khrushchev’s Cuban Medium-range Ballistic Missile sites, but Kennedy was advised against it by his brother Bobby Kennedy and Robert McNamara, as it could ignite a nuclear war against the soviets and discredit America for bombing such a small nation. Secretary of defence Robert McNamara suggested a naval blockade of Cuba preventing Soviet ships from supplying the construction of the launch sites. The Cuban missile crisis had avoided catastrophe and ended 13 days after it had begun in the same month of October. Khrushchev agreed to remove his missiles from Cuba if America agreed not to invade Cuba. He was triggered to act sensibly as he wanted to avoid war at all costs and was aware of his vulnerability.
TASK 2
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/cold-war-events-7c5978c4-40c7-432e-ba2a-250d11793836
Question one:
“Cold War? Heck, it was a hot war!” (Robert McNamara, US Secretary of Defence 1961 – 1968)
To what extent do you agree with Robert McNamara’s statement that it was a ‘hot war’?
It would be wrong to ignore the violent conflict and heated tension that this era brought about. The Cold War has its name ‘cold’ because the lack of violent conflict throughout the period. However, how can the Korean war where the casualties reach above 54,000, The Soviet-Afghan war with a death toll of soviet troops at around 15,000 and a civilian death toll at an estimated 1 million and the Vietnam war with casualties greater the 1.4 million! The ignorance of these conflicts as being ‘heated’ is far from acceptable. Though the Cold war is viewed as a proxy war of indirect conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States. They both fought significant wars against each others ideological outlooks, in different countries, against different nations, who in all instances were both armed and funded by either the USSR or the USA. “The Cold War isn’t thawing it is burning with a deadly heat” – Richard Nixon 1964
The tension, most significantly during the Cuban Missile crisis of October 1962 has to prevail as heated. The fate of the entire world rested in the palms of these three very hostile nations whom seemed very near breaking point. This period saw the creation of the ‘Doomsday Clock’, a clock that at midnight meant the extermination of mankind, a clock created for the sole purpose of the Cold War.
Question two:
Why is the Cold War worth remembering?
The Cold War saw the creation of significant treaties, pacts, technological advancements, leaps and bounds into space, the fall of an enormous economic system and dictatorship, the death of millions and almost tore the world in half (both physically and ideologically).
Advancements made in the ‘space race’ saw America soar out of the earths atmosphere enabling them to make grandeurs discoveries about the moon and space. Information and research that would be decades behind, if the Cold War had not pushed scientists and governments to make such headway. By the end of the cold war 23 countries had been created including, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) who is Juche/ Communist. and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) who is capitalist. An outcome of the Korean War.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) consisting of 28 countries including Canada, The US, UK, Italy, France and Germany who’s main objective is to protect its affiliates from harm to their liberty. “NATO’s essential purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means”.
Primarily the point to be argued like any point in history, is that The Cold War shaped the modern world as we know it.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hodder Education, London, 2001
ect. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=8032